


who are we, when we're alone?

by RMarie124



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Making Out, pre-LOK
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:02:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28695147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RMarie124/pseuds/RMarie124
Summary: "Nighttime on Ember Island was a silent, still affair. Even in the cooler months of the year, there was very little breeze, and very little movement. It always filled Lin with a sense of anticipation, of comfort mixed with heightened awareness."Or: it's Lin and Tenzin's birthday and at night, Tenzin sneaks into Lin's room...
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Tenzin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	who are we, when we're alone?

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this sitting in my drafts for SO LONG and I've wanted to post it for forever, and now I'm getting around to it. I wrote this because for all of the missed moments in Quiet Moments, I *really* wanted to write them kissing. So, I did. I'd place them at 19 and 20 in this, because them getting together even at that point in life still gave them a long time together. 
> 
> It feels so good to be posting for these two again :)
> 
> Title is from Just Friends by Morgan Saint

Nighttime on Ember Island was a silent, still affair. Even in the cooler months of the year, there was very little breeze, and very little movement. It always filled Lin with a sense of anticipation, of comfort mixed with heightened awareness. Ember Island was reserved for birthdays and special occasions, and this weekend, they were all there to celebrate her and Tenzin’s birthday. They shared the same birthday, a year apart, and everyone joked that it meant they were destined to always be together. Lin rolled her eyes, but secretly, she loved the idea.

Ever since they were kids, they’d spend the nights together, staying up almost all night talking, laughing, and trying to sneak down to the kitchen to get cake. Lin’s mom and uncle Aang had a running tally of who was first to catch them (Toph was in the lead by only one point, a fact that Aang never let her forget), but the count had stopped a few years ago. Since they’d reached their teens, they weren’t allowed to sleep over anymore. It disappointed Lin, having to rework their birthday traditions, but they’d figured it out. They switched every year who snuck into whose room. This year, she was waiting up for Tenzin.

A light tap at her window signaled that he was there. Lin smiled in the dark and flicked the lock to let him in. A gust of cold air came with him and she shivered, before locking the window behind him.

“You better get in here and warm me up,” she teased, her voice low. “You brought in all the cold air.”

Tenzin chuckled quietly and slid into bed next to her, automatically curling around her. He was warm, somehow, despite the chill of the evening, and Lin sighed contentedly. His arm draped over her stomach, pulling her closer and transferring more heat to her. His breath ghosted across her neck, and she closed her eyes, willing her body not to betray her.

“Happy birthday, Lin.” He said, bringing his hand to rest on her hip.

“Happy birthday, Tenzin.” She echoed.

“Can you believe we’re both adults now?” He mused, his hand now traveling to rest on her lower back. He massaged it a bit, and she held back a noise that would have certainly been embarrassing.

“It’s felt like we were adults since we were sixteen. Oh, over to the left a bit please.” She let out a hiss of pain mixed with relief. “Thanks.”

“We have had quite a lot of expectations since then, haven’t we?”

Lin only nodded. Tenzin’s hand had returned to her hip, but she drew it to her stomach and pressed herself further into his embrace. Something about this night felt special to her, almost as if she were to say the wrong thing, it would all shatter around her. Her and Tenzin’s birthday celebration had been perfect, the sunset on Ember Island had been spectacular, and through it all, Tenzin had been by her side. He had held her hand under the table as they faced an out of key but endearing rendition of “happy birthday” from their families. He’d looked at her the way he’d been doing a lot more recently, a way that made her stomach flutter in an entirely pleasant way. She almost kissed him in front of everyone.

“It’s stupid that we can’t have our birthday sleepovers anymore.” Tenzin sighed. “I get why they won’t let us share a bed, but I miss staying up late and talking.”

“Me too.” Lin glanced briefly back at him. “Besides, they have to know that we’ve been sneaking into each other’s rooms for the last four years. I think it’s more for show than anything.”

“I still have to go back to my room before we fall asleep, just in case.”

“Yeah, you do.”

Tenzin reached his hand up and gently turned her face towards his. Lin could barely see him in the dark, but she could tell that his expression was serious in a way that was different than usual. The fluttering in her stomach was back, and she suddenly couldn’t find her breath, as if he had stolen it from her.

In a way, he had.

“Lin, can I…?”

“Can you what?” She needed to hear him say it.

“Can I kiss you?”

Her breath hitched in her throat and she nodded. “ _Yes._ ”

She closed her eyes and inclined her head, waiting for Tenzin to meet her in the middle. His lips brushed hers ever so slightly, and though it was barely a kiss, her heart was beating a wild tattoo. She’d never wanted to kiss anyone again so badly in her life, and she shifted so she was facing him. Her hands curled into his robes, and she let out a shaky breath.

Lin leaned forward and pressed their lips together again. She had kissed other people in her life, but nothing compared to this. Tenzin’s hand was at her hip, pulling her body flush against his. One of her hands reached up to his head, her fingers tracing the blue arrow that she knew she had memorized until it disappeared underneath his robes. Tenzin shivered against her and she smiled into the kiss.

He bit her bottom lip gently between his teeth and a small sound escaped her at the sensation. They both froze at the noise, as though it had shocked them out of the moment, but then Tenzin grinned and threaded his hand through her hair, pulling her back to him.

Lin swore she was going to melt, right then and there.

Every point they were in contact was electric. His hand was ghosting down her side, only to sneak its way underneath her top to hold her. His kisses were exactly like he was, light, teasing, but firm and grounded at the same time. She ran her hand down his arm and laced their fingers together. He used the opportunity to shift them so he was on top of her, one of her hands held down, tangled with his.

When had he gotten so _bold_?

Tenzin pulled away and looked at her. Lin could see, from what little moonlight was sweeping into the room, that his eyes were dark, and his expression mirrored how she felt. Elated, and ready to spend hours wrapped up in each other.

“You okay?” He whispered.

Lin nodded, a smile working its way across her face. “I’m _so_ good.”

He dipped his head to kiss her again and she arched into him automatically. He moved to place kisses on her cheek, on the underside of her jaw, and down her neck. Her free hand rested on the back of his head, holding him close to her. It hit her, then, that this was really happening. She was kissing _Tenzin_ , her best friend for her entire life, and the person she’d been wanting to do this with for at least three years. It felt scandalous, him sneaking into her room only to kiss her into oblivion in the late hours of the night.

But it felt so _right_ , too.

She laughed at the secrecy and absurdity of it all, but the sound quickly morphed into something else as his lips ghosted up her neck to rest near her ear.

“You have to be quiet, Lin.” He said, voice low.

_Spirits._

“Get up here and make me, then.” She teased.

When Tenzin kissed her this time, something settled in her heart. She was unsure of where they’d go from here, but she knew they’d work it out. She’d sneak onto Air Temple Island if that meant they could be together. They seemed to fit so perfectly against each other, and Lin suddenly needed more of him. She tangled their legs together, urging him to place more of his weight on her. He was warm and close and making her feel so many things all at once.

Some time later, Lin wasn’t sure if it was minutes or hours, they separated and Tenzin rolled off of her to lay beside her. They lay quietly, catching their breath. Lin had never enjoyed kissing someone so much in her life, but if she thought about it, it was probably because she’d never been into anyone else the way she was into Tenzin.

Tenzin’s hand found hers in the darkness and she turned her head to look at him. His thumb brushed the back of her hand, and she smiled.

“I guess we know why we can’t have sleepovers anymore.” Tenzin joked.

Lin laughed. “We really did break that rule tonight, didn’t we?”

“Completely tossed it out the window, I’d say.”

Lin took a moment to gather her thoughts. She knew what she wanted, both in her own life and with Tenzin, but she was scared that the two weren’t able to be in her life the way she wanted. She knew she’d do whatever she needed to see him and be with him, but she needed to know that her career and her love life would fit together.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that happened because we both wanted it to, and that it wasn’t just a spur of the moment thing.” Lin tried to stop her voice from shaking.

“You have no idea, Lin.” Tenzin pulled their clasped hands up to his mouth and kissed her hand. “Although, maybe based on the way you kissed me back, you do have an idea.”

Lin could only nod, her thoughts momentarily distracted by the newly minted memories of them kissing and whispering to each other in the dark.

“I have one request.” She scooted closer to him, resting her head on his chest.

“Anything.”

“We take this slow. I’m worried that our busy schedules will get in the way.”

Tenzin dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “I was thinking the same thing.”

Lin yawned and tried to curl further into Tenzin. He chuckled, gently moved her away and sat up. The moon was higher in the sky, now, and the light gave him an almost ethereal glow. He was looking at her with such a tender expression that she couldn’t help but reach her hand up to touch his face. His hand covered hers and he leaned down to kiss her softly.

“One more request.” She whispered against his lips.

“I thought I told you,” He teased. “Anything.”

“Come back tomorrow night.”

Tenzin winked at her. “Already planning on it, badgermole.”

Lin’s heart fluttered.

Tomorrow night couldn’t come soon enough.


End file.
